Lum-Ka-Naad

"If you live in Northridge, you probably already know you don’t have to drive to East Hollywood to get tremendous Thai food - you can just go Lum-Ka-Naad. For everyone else, it’s time to drive to Northridge. They have a big menu, but you’re narrowing it down to two sections: “Northern Cuisine” and “Southern Cuisine.” These are the dishes specifically from the owner’s home regions, and they are incredible. Start with the turmeric fish soup from the South and work your way up to the khao soi in the North." - brant cox, sylvio martins

"If you live in the Valley, we're preaching to the choir when we tell you that tremendous Thai doesn't only exist in East Hollywood. Case in point: Lum-Ka-Naad in Northridge. The menu is big here, but you’re can narrow it down to two sections: “Northern Cuisine” and “Southern Cuisine.” These are filled with dishes from the two regions of Thailand the owners call home, and even if you closed your eyes and ordered at random, you'd end up with something unexpected and incredible on your table. Start with the banana leaf-wrapped curried fish and spare rib kua kling from the South and work your way up to the sour tamarind soup and grilled eggplant salad in the North. Delicious food and a geography lesson? Win-win." - brant cox, arden shore, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"Lum-Ka-Naad’s menu has over 150 items on it, but an easy way to narrow things down is to concentrate on two sections: “Northern Cuisine” and “Southern Cuisine.” These dishes, like turmeric fish soup, spicy pork sausage, and the excellent khao soi, are specifically from the owner’s home region. What makes LKN’s version of khao soi stand out is the herbaceous and tangy pickled cabbage, and also the slightly smoky flavor of the soup. The chicken drumstick in the middle is remarkably tender, and the thin egg noodles soak up the curry broth while still staying light and springy. Also, if you ask to get it spicy, just know that they're very liberal with their red chile sauce." - brant cox, nikko duren

"Movie Pairing: Catch Me If You Can at Brandeis Bardin Campus in Simi Valley Simi Valley is a quick drive up the 5 (and then over on the 118), and on your way there, you can make a stop at Lum-Ka-Naad, the family-run Northridge Thai spot with turmeric and fish soup that’s ideal for watching Leo and Tom Hanks go head-to-head. Get some kang ho, too - excellent drunken noodles tossed with vegetables and curry powder. They’ve also got a location in Encino, which is also on the way to Simi from parts of LA. Thursday, July 30, 6:30pm. Tickets available here." - brett keating

"If you live in Northridge, you don’t have to drive to East Hollywood to get tremendous Thai food - you can just stop in at Lum-ka-Naad. The modern restaurant has a big menu, but you’re narrowing it down to two sections: “Northern Cuisine” and “Southern Cuisine.” These are the dishes specifically from the owner’s home regions, and they are incredible. Start with the turmeric fish soup from the South and work your way up to the kang ho (pan-fried vegetables and vermicelli in a curry rub) and khao soi in the North. Delicious food and a geography lesson? Everyone wins." - brant cox